Publicaciones

@article{nokey,

title = {Phylogenetic and functional structure of tree communities at different life stages in tropical rain forest fragments},

author = {Julieta Benítez-Malvido and Mariana Y. Álvarez-Añorve and Luis D. Ávila-Cabadilla and Ana Ma González-Di Pierro and Isela Zermeño-Hernández and Moisés Méndez-Toribio and Antonio González-Rodríguez and Rafael Lombera},

doi = {10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02113},

issn = {23519894},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-01},

journal = {Global Ecology and Conservation},

volume = {36},

publisher = {Elsevier B.V.},

abstract = {Tropical rain forest fragmentation is considered one of the principal drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. Fragmentation and defaunation of tropical rain forests affect the maintenance of their biodiversity in a myriad of ways. Old-growth forest plant and animal species are more likely to suffer from local extinction, not only because fragments frequently represent low quality habitats but also because of the loss of biotic interactions such as seed dispersal. In this study, we evaluated the maintenance of tree species diversity in the face of habitat fragmentation in southern Mexico using different approaches. Firstly, we used community phylogeny at different tree life stages (i.e., seeds, seedlings and adults). Secondly, we categorised plant species in different life stages into functional groups according to seed size (small seeds < 1 cm length and large seeds > 1 cm length) and, finally, by dispersal syndrome (predominantly primate dispersed). We searched for three sites of continuous forest as experimental controls where two important seed dispersers coexist, the howler (Alouatta pigra) and spider (Ateles geoffroyi) monkeys, and six forest fragments of similar sizes (ca. 3–6 ha). Three fragments were occupied only by howler monkeys, and three had no primates. We compared entire assemblages as well as assemblages of small-seeded and large-seeded species separately to determine the phylogenetic structure and patterns of species richness and the density of adult trees (> 10 cm dbh), seedlings (10–100 cm tall) and seed assemblages. Fragments and continuous forest differed in taxonomic species richness and density at all life stages when large-seeded species mainly dispersed by primates were solely considered, with numbers in unoccupied fragments being consistently lower than in continuous forests and occupied fragments. Phylogenetic clustering occurred in all habitats and for all life stages, predominantly for the seedling stage, indicating that the understory community is assembled via environmental filtering (including both biotic and abiotic processes). Habitats occupied by primates tended to present a higher phylogenetic clustering than unoccupied fragments, suggesting that primates select phylogenetically-related species in their diets and, importantly, that these foraging behaviours influence seedling recruitment patterns. The loss of taxonomic and functional biodiversity and the non-random extinction of tree species principally dispersed by primates, represents part of the evolutionary history that is being lost throughout fragmentation.},

keywords = {Fragmentation, Functional traits, Phylogenetic structure, Primates, Seed dispersal, Seed rain, Seedling bank, Tree species richness},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {DIFFERENTIATION IN SEED MASS AND SEEDLING BIOMASS ALLOCATION IN PROSOPIS LAEVIGATA THROUGHOUT ITS DISTRIBUTION RANGE IN MEXICO IS ASSOCIATED TO WATER AVAILABILITY},

author = {Fátima Hernández-Madrigal and Gonzalo Contreras-Negrete and Rafael Aguilar-Romero and Fernando Pineda-García and Antonio González-Rodríguez},

doi = {10.17129/botsci.2846},

issn = {20074476},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-01},

journal = {Botanical Sciences},

volume = {100},

issue = {2},

pages = {274-290},

publisher = {Sociedad Botanica de Mexico, A.C},

abstract = {Background: Seedling establishment depends on the quality of the seeds and environmental conditions. Differential biomass allocation in emergent seedlings probably constitutes a relevant adaptive response of populations along environmental gradients. Questions: Are there differences in seed mass and biomass allocation in seedlings among Prosopis laevigata populations? Is this variation correlated with environmental variables? Studied species: Prosopis laevigata (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) M.C.Johnst (Fabaceae). Study site and dates: Thirteen localities along the distribution of P. laevigata in México. From 2016 to 2020. Methods: Seeds were collected from four or five mother trees per locality. Seed mass (SM) was obtained in ten seeds per mother and six functional traits indicative of biomass allocation were measured in the seedlings after 10 days of germination. Population mean values were obtained for the six traits plus SM and subjected to a principal component analysis (PCA). Population scores on the first two axis of the PCA were regressed against environmental variables from the collection localities using a stepwise regression model. Results: Populations displayed functional variation congruent with alternative biomass allocation strategies. The conservative strategy was characterized by larger seeds and seedlings with denser tissues and a higher investment in root biomass, while the opposite characterized the acquisitive strategy. Actual evapotranspiration in May, isothermality and soil water content in February were environmental variables that significantly predicted population scores on the first two axes of the PCA. Conclusion: Water availability gradients influence seed mass and seedling biomass allocation variation among P. laevigata populations.},

keywords = {actual evapotranspiration, arid zones, Functional traits, germination},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}